West Malling Golf Club, Trottiscliffe Road, Addington, WEST MALLING, ME19 5AR

outline planning application for the erection of 3 dwellings with all matters reserved apart from access

Authority: Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
Appeal type: minor · Planning Appeal
Procedure: Written Representations
Development: residential · Minor Dwellings
Inspector: Douglas L

Main issues, as the Inspector framed them

whether the proposal would be inappropriate development in the Green Belt having regard to the Framework and any relevant development plan policies
the effect of the proposal on the openness of the Green Belt
the effect of the proposal on protected species
the effect of the proposal on designated open space
if the proposal would constitute inappropriate development, whether the harm by reason of inappropriateness and any other harm is clearly outweighed by other considerations so as to amount to the very special circumstances necessary to allow the appeal

What decided it

The proposal constitutes inappropriate development in the Green Belt with no very special circumstances demonstrated to justify it, and Green Belt policy provides a clear reason for refusal under the tilted balance.

The tilted balance under NPPF paragraph 11 was applied due to the Council's inability to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply, but Green Belt policy provided a clear reason for refusing the development and the modest benefits of three Lifetime Homes did not amount to very special circumstances.

Framework references: 147, 149, 137, 138, 99, 11, 6.49

Plan policies cited: Policy CP3, Policy NE3, Policy OS1

Read the decision letter on the Inspectorate’s site

The main issues and the deciding factor are read from the published letter by Town Planner Pro; the letter itself is the record. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Research, not advice.

What an account adds

Draw a red line around your site and the appraisal follows.

Heritage. Listed buildings by grade and distance, conservation areas, scheduled monuments, registered parks and gardens, heritage at risk.
Landscape and environment. Green belt, national parks and national landscapes, SSSIs, ancient woodland, SPA, SAC and Ramsar sites, nutrient catchments.
Flooding. Flood zones 2 and 3, surface water, and both again with climate change.
Transport. The 800 metre station catchment and service frequency, bus stops with their weekday frequency, the cycle network, and the Framework’s transport tests measured for the site.

Then the development plan position, the housing land supply as an Inspector last accepted it, and every appeal decided around the site with its letter.

Every English appeal since 2016, with the letter behind it wherever the Inspectorate published one. Searched by meaning as well as by words, with the key case law counted live across the letters.

Casework that chases the deadlines. Applications, appeals and conditions with their statutory dates.

The judgement stays yours. The tool gathers the material and dates it.